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Avs need points from backline

By Adrian Dater The Denver Post

Posted:
02/07/2013 10:55:46 PM MST

Updated:
02/07/2013 10:55:49 PM MST

Typically, forty percent of a hockey team's skaters in even-strength situations include defensemen. While defense is the first thing in their job descriptions, teams can't win regularly if they don't get some offense from the blue line. The Avalanche's percentage of goal-scoring from the defense 10 games into its season is: zero.

The Avs are the only NHL team without a goal from a defenseman. If the forwards were scoring lots of goals these days, it wouldn't be such a glaring issue perhaps. But with three of the team's top nine forwards from last season currently not with them, the Avs desperately need some offense from the blue line.

"There's no question, we need some offense from the back end," Avs coach Joe Sacco said. "We have a couple guys we think are capable of contributing offensively for us. Some of them, we don't expect much offensively, but certainly a few guys we do."

Erik Johnson and Matt Hunwick are at the top of that list. Johnson, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NHL draft by St. Louis, came into the league with a reputation of a guy who could get you 40-50 points a year. So far, his career high is 39 for the Blues in 2009-10. He scored only four goals and 26 points in 73 games last season, and has one point (assist) in 10 games this season.

Johnson has played pretty well defensively at even strength for the Avs and has 19 shots on goal. But his quarterbacking of the power play -- which ranks last in the NHL -- has not produced points.

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"He's one of those guys, yeah. We need some offense from EJ," Sacco said. "And a guy like Matty Hunwick; he's got some speed and has to get up in the play -- and he does. But we've got to create some offense back there."

Sacco doesn't think the Avs' defenders are doing a good enough job of getting shots through to the net.

"We talked about getting pucks low to high against (Anaheim Wednesday) and our points were open. It's their responsibility to get those shots through," Sacco said. "You have to give (Anaheim) a little bit of credit. They did a good job of blocking the lanes on us. But overall, we've just got to generate some more offense from the back end."

It stings for Avs fans to take at look at the NHL scoring leaders among defensemen right now. One of the players given up to acquire Johnson -- Kevin Shattenkirk -- entered Thursday tied for second among all defenders with nine points.

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